PCL MS 212 Alice Faye & Joan Blaine Letters Collection

This collection consists of letters written by actresses Alice Faye and Joan Blair to young fan Avalon Benson of London Mills, Illinois. The letters were written between 1941 and 1948. The collection was purchased in December 2005. The collection is open for research, however, photocopying of manuscripts must comply with applicable copyright laws. The finding aid was completed by Steve Ammidown, Manuscripts Archivist, in July 2016.

Alice Faye (1915-1998) was a film and radio actress known for her renditions of popular songs such as “You’ll Never Know” from the film Hello, Frisco, Hello. Her film career ended after being blackballed by studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck, but she found a new career on radio, starring with her husband Phil Harris in The Phil Harris- Alice Faye Show from 1946-1954. In later years, she appeared on film occasionally in cameo roles.

Joan Blaine (1900-1949) was star of the radio soap operas such as The Story of Mary Marlin and Valiant Lady. She was a graduate of Northwestern University and practiced law for a year after leaving school.

Little can be derived about Avalon Benson (1925-2002) within this collection, as none of the letters she wrote are included. She was a teenager when these correspondences began, and from the letters it can be inferred that she was a shut-in, although the cause is not mentioned. The letters end in the correspondence with Joan Blaine around 1948, and it should be noted that her name on the envelope was now Avalon Blankenship. An obituary places her in Denver, Colorado at the time of her death.

The collection contains letters ostensibly written by Alice Faye between 1941 and 1944, and letters ostensibly written by Joan Blaine between 1941 and 1948. The notes are typewritten and autographed, so it is difficult to determine if they were written by the actresses themselves. An autographed picture of each actress is also included in the collection.